Author: Matt Blitz

Crystal City-based startup OxiWear hopes to start selling its ear-worn alert system next month

By Matt Blitz

Sponsored by Monday Properties and written by ARLnow, Startup Monday is a weekly column that highlights Arlington-based startups, founders, and local tech news. Monday Properties is proudly featuring 1515 Wilson Blvd in Rosslyn. 

Arlington-based oxygen-monitoring tech startup OxiWear is aiming to go to market by the end of next month.

After raising $1.25 million last year, OxiWear founder Shavini Fernando told ARLnow that they are now in midst of testing in order to start selling the small, ear-worn blood oxygen alert system by late October. The hope is to, at least initially, appeal to the fitness and exercise market.

After that, the aim is to get the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to approve the device for prescriptions by mid-2023 and for off-the-shelf retail by the end of next year.

That would cap the Rosslyn resident’s five-year journey to offer a device that has saved her life to others.

For years, even though she was a swimmer and lived an active lifestyle, Fernando struggled to breathe. Doctors in her native Sri Lanka said she had asthma, but after a particularly troubling episode in 2015 when her face turned blue, she was diagnosed with severe cardiovascular disease and told that she had two years to live.

Fernando flew to the United States for a second opinion. Getting off the plane, she suffered a stroke. Soon, it was discovered she suffered from severe pulmonary hypertension (PH) due to Eisenmenger Syndrome. Meaning, there’s a hole in her heart that can lead to cardiac arrests and hypoxia strokes.

“With that, it damages my lungs due to the overflow of blood to the lungs,” she said. “It’s called Eisenmenger when it comes to that stage and it’s irreversible.”

 

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Fernando has had to deal with near-fatal situations, including four cardiac arrests and two strokes. She is also not allowed to fly above certain altitudes, meaning she hasn’t been able to fly home to Sri Lanka since leaving in 2015.

While there’s no cure for Eisenmenger, Fernando thought there might be a way that she could monitor her oxygen levels in order to prevent potentially fatal consequences. In 2015, she started working on a wearable device that would alert people like her when their oxygen levels drop to dangerous levels.

“Once we get a cardiac arrest, you only have three minutes. That’s not enough time to call 911. That’s where OxiWear comes in. You get the alert ahead of time before you go into cardiac arrest or have a stroke,” she said.

It does that by being attached to the ear and pulsating when the wearer’s oxygen levels dip below a certain level. The ear is one of the best and most accurate body parts for measuring oxygen, Fernando said.

Additionally, the device connects to a mobile application that allows the user to keep an eye on their levels at all times. If they do drop dangerously, it will buzz the device as well which will send out an alert to emergency contacts.

“In case you can’t call for help, someone will know you need help,” Fernando said.

Beyond medical necessities, OxiWear is also being marketed to high-performing athletes.

Oxygen levels, even more than heart rate, can give a sense of how fatigued an athlete might be or how well they are adapting to certain environments. Earlier this year, OxiWear signed an agreement with a company that does high-altitude obstacle courses and endurance races.

“It gives the coach an idea of an athlete’s… tolerance level and how long they can stay the course. And, also, how they behave in different environments,” she said.

This is one of the reasons why Ted Leonsis — local owner of the Capitals, Wizards and Mystics — has been such an advocate of OxiWear and Fernando, with not just financial investment but mentorship as well.

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9/11 Pentagon Memorial Visitor Education Center delayed another year, hoping for 2026 opening

By Matt Blitz
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The long-planned 9/11 Pentagon Memorial Visitor Education Center is delayed another year and is now hoping for a 2026 opening.

The $100 million education center is set to be located within the soon-to-be expanded Arlington National Cemetery and along Columbia Pike, which is being realigned to accommodate the cemetery’s expansion.

However, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) project got off to a late start with construction being pushed from the early fall of 2021 to the spring of 2022.

That has also moved the education center’s timeline back about a year, executive director Jim Laychak told ARLnow. The aim is now to start construction on the education center in 2024 with a hoped-for opening in 2026 — 25 years after the terror attacks.

“That [realignment and expansion] project frames the site for the future visitors’ center, so we are dependent on that and its timeline,” Laychak said.

When the facility was first announced in September 2015 and when renderings were displayed at the Pentagon City mall in 2016, the goal was to open in 2019 or 2020.

In terms of design, the plans for the 9/11 Pentagon Memorial Visitor Education Center haven’t changed much since last year. There have been some adjustments to the exterior, said Laychak, but those are still under review.

The education center will feature a modern design with exhibits on the first floor, “interactive biographies” of those who died at the Pentagon on 9/11, a second-floor conference room with views, a rooftop terrace, and ample parking.

Laychak, who also oversaw the building of the Pentagon Memorial, says this project is being funded in much the same way as the memorial — a combination of public and private funds.

The education center has raised about $14 million in private donations so far, an increase of about $9 million since this time last year. That includes a $2.5 million donation from Amazon.

The project still needs another $85 million though, Laychak said. The hope is to receive about $70 million from the federal government.

The 9/11 Pentagon Memorial Visitor Education Center, much like the memorial, is a deeply personal project for Laychak. His brother Dave was killed at the Pentagon on 9/11. This weekend will mark the 21st anniversary of the terrorist attack and his brother’s death.

“All of them are [tough],” Laychak said last year about the 20th anniversary. “One is not any more or less meaningful than the other, though you start to realize how much life has gone on without Dave.”

He’ll be in attendance at the Pentagon Memorial again this year for a small service for family members and invited guests.

The memorial and education center are important reminders, Laychak said, of a tragic day that changed history and defined a generation that fought the wars that followed. For such a pivotal moment in history, however, it’s notable that newer generations have not had the same searing memories of that fateful day.

Laychak briefly told a story about how he was leading a school tour at the memorial a few years ago and many of the kids didn’t know the details of what had happened at the Pentagon on 9/11.

“We need to remember those stories and remember what happened, especially these days with social media and all of the misinformation, conspiracy theories,” said Laychak. “We are going to get [the education center] done. It’s a project we believe in.”

Details emerge about new Alamo Drafthouse Cinema as it prepares for a fall opening

By Matt Blitz
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The Alamo Drafthouse Cinema in Crystal City is currently hiring and wrapping up construction as it prepares for its premiere later this year.

In a recent update, the upscale theater chain posted construction photos and new details about its upcoming opening at 1660 Crystal Drive. The plan is to open “this fall,” the post said. ARLnow reported the hope was October.

There were also some specifics in regard to the look, feel, and aesthetic of the nine-screen, 50,000-square-foot complex.

“The cinema’s front facade will boast a beautiful marquee, reminiscent of the grand movie palaces of old, which will be accompanied by a vibrant vertical Alamo sign further up the building,” reads the post.

A collection of vintage posters will line the staircase and escalator on the way to the second floor, where there will be the box office and a 50-person bar “with a soon-to-be-announced theme and overlooking Crystal [Drive].” The bar will have signature cocktails, local beers, appetizers, and a happy hour. Adjacent to the bar, there’s set to be a rooftop patio as well.

The theaters will range from 50 to 237 seats, each with 4K laser projectors, power recliners, swivel tables, and server call buttons. The “Big Show” theater will feature a particularly large screen and lots of speakers.

“A peek behind the curtain in our Big Show auditorium, featuring a 66-foot wide PLF screen and over 70 (!!) speakers supporting an immersive Dolby Atmos surround sound experience,” says the update.

The theater is also looking to hire a number of positions, including projectionists, bartenders, servers, box office concierge, and a marketing manager.

The Texas-based theater chain first announced it was moving into Crystal City more than five years ago. Its location at 1660 Crystal Drive is next to a CVS, an Amazon Fresh and Tacombi Taqueria — and a few blocks from the future, 25,000-employee Amazon HQ2.

The theater was originally supposed to open this past spring, but that got pushed to the fall due to supply chain and construction delays.

Franchisee Cojeaux Cinemas will operate the Crystal City location, as is the case with the other four Alamo Drafthouses in D.C. and Virginia.

After a rough two years due to the pandemic, it appears that the moviegoing industry is rebounding somewhat after a good summer. That includes Alamo Drafthouse, which filed for bankruptcy early last year.

County pauses shots while waiting for updated boosters from the state

By Matt Blitz
Vaccine dose being given at an Arlington County vaccination clinic (via Arlington County/YouTube)

With updated Covid boosters now approved, the county has paused providing shots to adults as it waits for its supply from the state.

As of this past Friday, Sept. 3, Arlington County Public Health Division is “unable to offer booster dose appointments for Pfizer or Moderna vaccines” per the county’s website.

This is because “the currently available mRNA vaccines are no longer authorized for booster doses for people ages 12 years and older.”

Last week, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorized the use of updated Covid booster shots that are specifically formulated to better protect against the omicron variant. Also in accordance with the Center for Disease Control’s recommendation to use these “bivalent vaccines,” the county has stopped administering the older vaccines.

However, Arlington has yet to receive the newer, updated vaccines from the state.

“We are waiting on the supply we pre-ordered through the Virginia Department of Health,” Arlington health department spokesperson Sondra Dietz wrote ARLnow via email.

She said residents will not be able to schedule vaccine appointments until that happens.

“We will update appointment scheduling in VAMS when we have received the two vaccine boosters,” Dietz said. “In the meantime, please check vaccines.gov to search for appointments in and around Arlington, which includes pharmacies and other medical providers.”

There’s no “definitive timeline” on when updated boosters will be received by the county from VDH. However, there are other locations in Arlington that are currently offering the updated boosters with more on the way in the coming days.

All 153 Giant Food pharmacies in Virginia, Maryland, D.C., and Delaware are now administrating the updated Pfizer vaccine as a single booster dose, a company spokesperson told ARLnow yesterday. That’s available for anyone 12 years or older and two months out from receiving their last booster dose or initial series of vaccines.

“Select” Giant Food pharmacies are also administrating the updated Moderna vaccine for those 18 years and older. Giant is no longer providing the previous mRNA vaccines to those 12 years or older.

Safeway pharmacies in Arlington are planning to have the updated boosters by the end of the week, per a spokesperson.

While adults can no longer receive the previous iteration of the vaccines as boosters, they are still available for children. Earlier this summer, the federal government approved the vaccine for children and recommended that kids as young as 6 months old could get it.

The county is continuing to administer the previous Pfizer and Moderna vaccines to that age range by appointment only at the Arlington Mill and Walter Reed community centers.

Last week, the state health department released a Covid modeling update that showed rates across the state are in a “slow decline.” While there could be surges in the fall and winter, the updated boosters could blunt the impact.

“Models suggest minor case surges in the Fall barring the introduction of a new variant,” reads the VDH’s report from Sept. 2. “An aggressive new variant, in combination with holiday travel and colder weather, could cause another surge in December. But bivalent vaccine boosters could cut this surge short.”

Arlington is currently seeing a seven-day moving average of 44 daily Covid cases, according to the latest VDH data. That’s down from more than 160 daily cases three months ago.

Covid cases in Arlington as of Sept. 8, 2022 (via Virginia Dept. of Health)

Construction starting next week on upgraded I-395 and Boundary Channel Drive interchange

By Matt Blitz
Changes coming to Boundary Channel Drive and I-395 interchange (image via VDOT)

Construction is starting next week to make Boundary Channel Drive and the I-395 interchange near Crystal City and the Pentagon safer.

The impact on locals should be “minimal,” Virginia Department of Transportation spokesperson Mike Murphy told ARLnow. While there could be lane closures, access to surrounding facilities will be kept open.

“Some day and overnight lane closures may be scheduled along I-395, Boundary Channel Drive, and Long Bridge Drive in the project area,” Murphy said. “Access to I-395 via Boundary Channel Drive, as well as access to Pentagon facilities and the Long Bridge Aquatics & Fitness Center will be maintained during construction.”

The long-planned $20 million project is set to reduce traffic lanes on Boundary Channel Drive to make room for paths and sidewalks, install roundabouts, reconfigure ramps, and add crosswalks.

The purpose of the renovations is to simplify traffic patterns and to make it safer for pedestrians, cyclists and drivers.

“We’ve long sought these improvements,” then-County Board Chair Matt de Ferranti said at a Board meeting last year when voting to approve the project. “They will reconfigure the interchange that you see to make it work a lot better and safer for everyone.”

The VDOT-led project is expected to be completed about a year from now, in fall 2023.

Crews will begin with work on Boundary Channel Drive, where both directions will be reduced to one lane to allow for the construction of the new roundabouts, utility work, and pedestrian improvements.

Those improvements include a path along the south side of Boundary Channel Drive, complete with crosswalks, landscaping, and street lighting.

The new shared-use path, varying in width between ten and twelve feet, will start at the Long Bridge Aquatic Center parking lot entrance. It will then follow Long Bridge Drive northbound before connecting with westbound Boundary Channel Drive, per Murphy. The half-mile-long path will pass under I-395 and turn north at the soon-to-be-built western Boundary Channel Drive interchange roundabout.

The new path will ultimately connect with the existing one that parallels the southbound George Washington Memorial Parkway ramp to I-395 southbound.

This project has been in the works since at least 2014 and is estimated to cost $19.6 million. It’s being paid for by a combination of state, federal, regional, and county money.

Chicago-based Veo is bringing 400 e-bikes to Arlington

By Matt Blitz
Veo e-bikes at the corner of Wilson Blvd and N. Rhodes Street in Rosslyn (staff photo by Matt Blitz)

Hundreds of additional e-bikes are arriving in Arlington.

The Chicago-based Veo is in the process of deploying 400 new e-bikes across the county. It’s the latest e-bike company to move into Arlington, joining Lime. Next month, Veo will also launch 300 e-bikes in Alexandria.

“Arlington and Alexandria have long been at the forefront of urban mobility as adopters of the region’s bikeshare system over a decade ago,” Veo CEO Candice Xie said in a press release. “We’re working closely with local leaders to increase the use of shared mobility in the region and bring new riders into the fold with our class 2 e-bike.”

While the bikes are dockless, there are a number of hubs in the county. Most of them are centered in Metro-accessible locations, per a map provided by the company to ARLnow.

The bikes themselves are class 2 throttle-assisted, making them the only shared e-bikes in the county with a throttle. Most e-bikes are pedal-assisted, so they act like regular bikes but with an electric motor. Throttle-assisted allows the user to accelerate up to 20 miles per hour without pedaling.

While some states require a license to operate a throttle-assisted bike, Virginia is not one of those states. The Commonwealth does require “protective headgear,” though.

“Our class-II e-bikes were inspected in person by both [Arlington and Alexandria]. After approval, we applied for the unallocated e-bike permits and were granted permission to operate,” a Veo spokesperson wrote ARLnow.

The company is currently in more than 40 markets, but Arlington is only the second locality in the area. The University of Maryland and College Park, Maryland was the first launch location in the D.C. area, introducing Veo e-bikes in 2019.

“Veo has been securing sustainable, long-term partnerships with universities and cities across the country since 2017,” wrote a company spokesperson. “We currently provide service to over 40 markets — ranging from the university markets like UMD, to the country’s largest urban areas like New York City and Los Angeles. Arlington and Alexandria are great markets for micromobility, and Veo is excited to see how our class II e-bikes can improve mobility for residents, workers, and visitors.”

In late 2019, the County Board adopted regulations that allowed for the permanent use of e-bikes and scooters in the county. This includes allowing them on the W&OD and the Mount Vernon trails.

Currently, a total of up to 1,000 e-bikes are allowed to operate in the county.

New family-owned Peruvian chicken restaurant is hoping to open soon on Columbia Pike

By Matt Blitz
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A new family-owned Peruvian chicken restaurant is opening on Columbia Pike.

Cabaña Restaurant is looking to start serving roasted chicken and other Peruvian food at 4815 Columbia Pike, perhaps later this month.

Management is just waiting on the county to do its inspections and issue licenses, co-owner Soledad Marreros told ARLnow. The restaurant is also waiting on approval of its liquor license from Virginia ABC.

Marreros owns the restaurant with her brother. Together, they also both run Restaurante El Salvador located only a few doors down from its new restaurant. That eatery has been open for about 30 years, she said, and will continue to operate along with the new restaurant.

Cabaña Restaurant will be its own restaurant with a new menu and a different type of cuisine, Marreros said.

With the population increasing along Columbia Pike, particularly residents originally from Central and South America, the time felt right to open another restaurant, Marreros said.

Plus, with so many other restaurants closing over the last two years due to the pandemic, space became available close to their original restaurant. Prior, 4815 Columbia Pike appears to have been home to Ginger Beef.

Cabaña Restaurant is nestled between a cell phone store and an Ethiopian market in the Barcroft Shopping Centre at the intersection of Columbia Pike and S. Buchanan Street.

Grand opening set for Black Heritage Museum and Columbia Pike Partnership’s new space

By Matt Blitz
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The Black Heritage Museum of Arlington and the Columbia Pike Partnership are nearly ready to open the doors to their new home.

The two Pike-centric organizations will host a joint grand opening celebration on Sept. 16 from 4- 6 p.m., on the first floor of the Ethiopian Community Development Council building at 3045B Columbia Pike. Local officials are expected to attend and the public is welcome to attend with an RSVP.

“The Black Heritage Museum of Arlington is excited about the grand re-opening of our museum in a new space!” the museum’s president Scott Taylor said in a statement. “We are so thankful to so many of you, who have been with us every step of the way so that this day would finally come again for us to display information and be a voice to many unsung Arlington heroes who have certainly a hand in making Arlington the great county/city it is today.”

We reported in May that the museum and the Columbia Pike Partnership (CPP) had found a new home a few blocks from their former one at 2611 Columbia Pike. Both were forced to vacate — along with all of the businesses at the Fillmore Gardens Shopping Center — due to the impending demolition and redevelopment of the shopping center.

It took about four months to settle into the space, CPP’s deputy director Amy McWilliams told ARLnow, but now they are ready to start welcoming the public. Their new home was originally intended as retail, not an office space, but with a majority of employees still working from home often the reconfiguration isn’t a big deal, said McWilliams.

Part of the office will be taken up by a display of photos from the Columbia Pike Documentary Project.

The Black Heritage Museum will be taking up a large chunk of space for its displays, exhibits, and artifacts. Museum president Scott Taylor said this allows the museum to display a few new artifacts and a couple of newer displays, including vintage items from an old drug store as well as photos of Arlington-raised singer Roberta Flack.

“A new space and change is always good,” Taylor wrote ARLnow in an email. “We still have some of this same items that we’ve always had in which is okay because there are still a lot of people who have not experienced us yet.”

Taylor told ARLnow in May that the museum was still hoping for its own space. With the county acquiring 3108 Columbia Pike, there remains a possibility the museum could go back to the building it occupied several years ago.

For now, the museum is once again sharing space with CPP and taking advantage of what they do have.

“Unfortunately we still don’t have as much space as we would like to have but we are making the best of what we do have and I can’t wait for everyone to see!” said Taylor.

An “American fine dining restaurant” is set to move into P. Brennan’s old space on the Pike

By Matt Blitz
2910 Columbia Pike, the soon-to-be new location of Stella Restaurant and Lounge (staff photo by Matt Blitz)
2910 Columbia Pike, the soon-to-be new location of Stella Restaurant and Lounge (staff photo by Matt Blitz)

An “American fine dining restaurant” is filing the old P. Brennan’s space on Columbia Pike.

A family-owned eatery is looking to open by the end of the year at 2910 Columbia Pike. From 2010 to 2017, that address was the home of P. Brennan’s Irish Pub and Restaurant. However, the cavernous, two-level space has remained business-less for the last five years.

That’s changing, as ARLnow first reported back in April. The wife-husband team of Griselda Giselle Fernandez and Raheel “Ray” Khan are opening an “American fine dining restaurant” in the space that they are calling Stella Restaurant and Lounge.

The permit actually lists Nightbird Restaurant and Lounge as the name of the business, but Kahn said that was only a fill-in until they settled on a permanent name. As for why Stella, Khan said that was his wife’s call.

While the menu is still being finalized and the owners are still working to hire an executive chef, the plan is to serve steaks, lobster, crabs, and other high-end dishes, Khan told ARLnow.

It was about nine months ago when they took over the property, but it took awhile for plans to come together and permits approved by the county. Construction is starting next week, Khan said, with the hope to be completed in three to four months and for the restaurant to open in mid-December — an aggressive timeline, compared to other restaurant build-outs in Arlington.

When Khan and his wife first toured the space, next door to Rebellion and across the street from the Arlington Cinema and Drafthouse, they were ecstatic.

“It’s really hard to find such a big space in Arlington,” he said. “With parking underground and being such a well-known space, we loved it.”

The plans are to gut the interior while making some changes to the exterior, including adding sliding windows to provide some alfresco seating since there’s no outdoor patio.

This is the couple’s third D.C. area restaurant, including one location in Oxon Hill, Maryland and Heat Lounge on Lee Highway in Fairfax.

New acoustic concert series coming to Virginia Highlands Park this weekend

By Matt Blitz
Dunlap and Mabe are set to perform Sunday at Virginia Highlands Park as part of a new concert series (photo courtesy of National Landing BID)

A new acoustic concert series is set to start strumming at Virginia Highlands Park.

“National Landing Unplugged” brings the Winchester, Va.-based string trio of Dunlap & Mabe to the Pentagon City area this Sunday (Sept. 4) for the first of five Sunday afternoon acoustic concerts happening this fall.

The free music series is being held at the park at 1600 S. Hayes Street and will run from Sept. 4 to Oct. 2. The music begins at 12:30 p.m. and will run for about an hour and a half.

Different artists are set to perform each week, starting with Dunlap and Mabe this Sunday. The remaining schedule of musicians will be announced in the coming weeks.

The concert series is being put on by the National Landing Business Improvement District (BID)

“Our NEW Unplugged Series will focus on a diverse lineup of mostly acoustic-style groups. We wanted to differentiate from the musical styles/offerings we traditionally feature at our longtime Friday music series,” a National Landing BID spokesperson wrote ARLnow.

The stage will be set up between the tennis courts and sprayground off of S. Hayes Street with the BID working on booking food trucks as well, the spokesperson said.

The stage for “National Landing Unplugged” will be set up between the tennis courts and sprayground (photo courtesy of National Landing BID)

The National Landing BID serves Pentagon City, Crystal City, and Potomac Yard (which straddles Arlington and the City of Alexandria). Virginia Highlands Park and Long Bridge Park are the two largest parks that fall under National Landing BID’s area.

“This is a beloved space in the Pentagon City neighborhood that is already full of great programming and we saw an opening for activation on Sunday afternoons — for a fun and light family-friendly gathering in the park,” the spokesperson said of the park.

Along with this acoustic concert series, the “NaLa Fridays at the Park” summer series continues at Long Bridge Park through the rest of September.

A new wine shop is preparing to pop its cork in Clarendon

By Matt Blitz
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A new wine shop is getting ready to be uncorked in Clarendon this fall.

The aptly named “Clarendon Wine Club” is moving into 1114 N. Irving Street just off the main Wilson Blvd drag. It’s just a couple of doors down from O’Sullivan’s Irish Pub and around the corner from the recently revamped Clarendon Ballroom.

The owners of the shop are subleasing the space from Coco LaRue Beauty Studio, which is moving next door. The beauty studio temporarily closed earlier this year and is planning to reopen in its new space at 1112 N. Irving Street in January or February 2023, owner Coco La Rue told ARLnow.

Not much is known about Clarendon Wine Club at this point. The owners, a self-described “Lyon Village couple,” only shared that the shop “will focus on high end wines in an intimate space” and that they hope to open this fall.

Le Rue also told ARLnow that the shop will sell her champagne, the passion fruit-flavored “Butterflies Champagne.”

Clarendon does have at least two other businesses that can reasonably be classified as wine shops. Screwtop Wine Bar on N. Fillmore Street also has a retail wine shop. Oby Lee Winery on Washington Blvd sells a selection of bottles to take home as well. There used to be another wine shop right by the Whole Foods on Wilson Blvd, but “quirky” Grateful Red closed in 2016.

This western portion of Clarendon is in throes of change, including development projects both underway and planned.

The Silver Diner across the street is set to close in October after 26 years at that location as a new one in Ballston opens. A new development is coming to that corner featuring a hotel, rooftop bar, gym, residential building, and 16,000 square feet of retail space. It will still probably be a few years before it’s constructed and opened, though.

That development will likely lead to the Clarendon beer garden The Lot being closed, but the owners in June couldn’t elaborate on its future beyond noting it will be open for the rest of the 2022 season.

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